Are Pakistan’s anti-American hawks – those constantly attacking the Americans and standing against close ties between Pakistan and the United States – Indian Trojan Horses? After all, at a time when India’s close relations with Washington are bringing it billions of dollars in investment and trade, sophisticated defence equipment and a civil nuclear deal, Pakistan’s anti-American turn can only benefit India.
The term “Trojan Horse” dates back to the Greek civilization and basically means “any trick that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or place.” We now know that even Baitullah Mehsud was an Indian agent as he received lots of funds from the Indian intelligence agencies. But for years Pakistan’s Jihadis and their media advocates built Mehsud up as an anti-American hero.
Indian support for Mehsud is no surprise. As we proved in the first part of this series, only India stands to gain from the destabilization of Pakistan’s government and from worsening Us-Pakistan relations. The question for this part of the series, then, is who are the Pakistani anti-US hawks that are intentionally or inadvertently acting as Indian Trojan Horses?
A daarhi does not a patriot make.
The meddling by Indian intelligence service RAW in Afghanistan and support for the destabilizing religious militants there is also no secret. Of course they do not want to see a strong and independent Islamic republic in Afghanistan that has normal relations with Pakistan, and they know the most effective way of ensuring that Afghanistan is unstable – and by that effect, sapping Pakistan’s resources – is to support militants.
Likewise, it has been well documented that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baitullah Mehsud received substantial funding and support from RAW. And this should come as no surprise, really – after all, should Mehsudis prevail, it will be India that gains the most.
This use of religion to confuse and manipulate the ummah is a most diabolical act, but there are just as many civilian Trojan Horses also. Let us take a look at all those people who in the last one year have been attacking the attempts by the elected Zardari government to build better ties with United States.
Hypernationalists, Anti-Americanism, and India’s Prospering
Hypernationalists are often specifically targeted by intelligence agents who manipulate their passionate loyalties. We must not forget that, despite his support for Musharraf, Ahmed Quraishi’s anti-American rants created problems between the Americans and the Musharraf administration. Could it be that he is manipulated by India as what in intelligence parlance is known as “an unwitting agent?”
An inadvertent agent is often more valuable to intelligence agencies than intentional ones because they can easily pass lie detection devices and do not give themselves away so easily. After all, if Ahmed Quraishi believes he is being a nationalist, he will be more believable.
Let us also look at people like Hamid Gul and Shahid Masood. Again these people are well known anti-Indians, but their pitch has always been more anti-American. Why does Shahid Masood live in Dubai? Whom does he meet in Dubai? There are lots of Indians in Dubai and do any of them finance or influence him? Should that not be the subject of some analysis or concern in Islamabad?
Trojan Horses in Parliament?
Jamaat-e-Islami’s founder Maulana Maududi was opposed to the creation of Pakistan from the beginning and since independence the JI’s chief goal has been to grab power in the name of Islam. The overall effect of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s policies –whether in erstwhile East Pakistan or in Pakistan today—has been to weaken the Pakistani state? The Jamaatis constantly divide Pakistanis along religious lines. They make us think of each other as Kafirs or bad Muslims or unpatriotic. There is no difficulty visualizing that RAW is creating Trojan Horses from Jamaatis with the objective of not letting Pakistan live in peace.
If we turn to the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) are there any persons there who could be Trojan Horses? During Musharraf’s era they wanted to normalize relations with India and were content with being US surrogates. Both Tariq Azeem and Khurshid Kasuri who these days are screaming at the top of their lungs about the Kerry-Lugar bill were championing the opening of ties with India.
Pakistan Muslim League (N) is no better. Its hostility to the Pakistan army resulted in the 1999 coup d’etat and the party has no lost no opportunity to control the army or to put down the army top brass. While in power PML (N) initiated the bus diplomacy with India and even invited Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee to Pakistan against the wishes of the military. It maintained good relations with the United States. But out of power it is happy to push the anti-India, anti-US button as if destablising Pakistan is its real objective.
So what have these Trojan Horses tried to do?
One, engineer a clash between the civilian government and the military to make Pakistan unstable and weak.
Two, tried to also create a clash between US and Pakistan to ensure that India is not whipped by the superpower and US interests in America continue to expand while Pakistan’s ability to lobby the US continue to weaken.
Three, launched an attack campaign to discredit the reputation of those in the government who are well liked by Americans like President Zardari, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Ambassador Husain Haqqani and others to make Pakistan appear weak and childish in front of the world. If the hawks are the only Pakistani faces for Americans, the US will continue to turn against Pakistan thereby strengthening the Indo-US relationship.
Four, it is very interesting that this debate on Kerry-Lugar is the first debate in Pakistan where there is no mention of India, only anti-Americanism. Since when have we heard so little about the RAW involvement in such an issue?
Trojan Horses weaken Pakistan
Pakistan has been a nuclear power for over 20 years and yet doesn’t seem to have obtained the security it sought. Why? This is because the Indian lobby and RAW has worked nonstop to interfere with our relations with other world powers. It was India that helped create a clash between Nawaz Sharif and the United States over the nuclear weapons program while making sure that India obtained a nuclear deal as well as supply of nuclear fuel. Today, this interference with Pakistan’s security continues through the manipulation of Kerry-Lugar debate by these Indian Trojan Horses.
REAL Pak Nationalists
Pakistanis know that in order to stand up to the Indian threat they need support – military and economic – from the Americans and need American understanding to make sure India does not throw its weight around in South Asia. Causing a clash between Pakistan and its oldest ally, United States, cannot be the work of true Pakistani nationalists. It has to be the work of Indian Trojan Horses who claim to be acting in Pakistan’s interest while actually undermining it.
